Come On Get Happy: Avoid Top 5 Deathbed Regrets

Your life is now, in the present.  It’s the Year of the Dragon, after all, and dragons are powerful and live by their own rules. Do you have a ‘bucket list’ of things you want to do?  Do them now.  What are you waiting for? My mother always told me not to wait until people die to let them know how we feel about them. Think about the people who mean something to you in your life; be they work colleagues, friends, neighbors or family. Send the flowers now.

 Life is too short.  When you’re engrossed in an exciting project, it’s fine to burn the midnight oil on occasion.  But are you spending as much time with your children, your spouse/partner and your friends as you’d like to?  Could you work less hours? Would the world come to an end? What would it take to tinker with your ‘system’ so you have more time to spend taking care of yourself and your loved ones?

Are you suppressing your feelings because you’re afraid of the reactions of others?  Could you be feeling physical manifestations from not expressing your emotions openly and honestly? If your shoulders are constantly tense… if you often have head-aches… if your back always hurts… if you gnash your teeth… these could be signals that you’re just not allowing yourself to let loose. Maybe it’s time to let your freak flag fly.  Just a little bit. Don’t be so hard on yourself, and take a few baby steps towards a little more freedom.

Are your relationships in ‘touch’? Seriously, human touch has been found to trigger the release of oxytocin, leading to reduced levels of stress hormones and more robust immune systems. More and more research is suggesting we’re wired to be social.  We feel better when we connect with our fellow humans. Do you have more clothes, electronics, jewelry, furniture, books, CDs, gadgets than friends?  Do you always mean to call your buddies to check-in, but somehow never get around to it? Who could you call to let them know you’d like to renew an old friendship? Who could you ca
ll to tell them you love them?   Do it today.  Not tomorrow; today.

 Happiness is a choice. Sometimes it may mean getting out of our comfort zone. Life can too easily become rote and routine.  We get into a rut.  We need to channel a bit more Miss Frizzle, who always exhorted her students in The Magic School Busto Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!  I’m not suggesting chaos; just a little bit of expansion towards using all the many talents and gifts within us.  Each of us has a sense of who we think we are as a person.  And we’re not wrong. Yet each of us can also be slightly different and, in so being, we can make a difference – both in our own lives and the lives of others.  Ask yourself:  Am I aligned with my true self?  Am I open to the possibilities?  Do I feel light, or heavy?  If the latter, it may be time to make a change.